The inventive
system and method enable secure remote commercial order transactions between customers and merchants. The inventive
system and method ensure that customer entire confidential financial data (CFD) is never transmitted to the merchant by keeping that CFD proprietary to the customer's exiting financial
service provider (FSP) with which the customer has established a financial account, and from which the merchant is authorized to receive payments. When an order is placed, the customer provides to the merchant a partial CFD (PCFD) sufficient, along with additional data, to identify the FSP to the merchant, and to identify the customer to the FSP. The merchant then provides the PCFD, along with at least partial order data, to the FSP, and order confirmation data (OCD) to the customer. Various embodiments of a novel order
verification process are also provided that enable
authorization, by the customer, of the order through contact between the customer and the FSP. In this manner, the complete CFD is kept absolutely secure as it never leaves the possession of the customer and the FSP. Optionally, the FSP is given the opportunity to offer additional services and / or products to the customer during order
authentication, that are related or unrelated to the order. Advantageously, the inventive
system and method function equally well for interactive electronic (e.g., online) orders, telephone orders,
mobile commerce orders,
facsimile orders, mail-order orders, and even in-person orders.